Shelter
by shadowwhisper123
Summary: While on vacation, Kaiba and Yami find themselves lost and stranded alone in the wilderness. But they end up finding comfort without expecting to. Slightly fluffy Prideshipping.


Seto Kaiba had known this wasn't going to be a good idea. But his brother Mokuba had begged and begged to spend Winter break in Hokkaido like they had one year when their parents were still alive.

"We had so much fun, don't you remember?" he told him. "This year I'll finally be big enough to ski. I've always wanted to try it! Please can we go? _Please_? I can't remember the last time the two of us went on a real vacation. And I…I-I feel so bad about the fact that you never get any rest. It makes me worried. You really deserve a break and I just want to have some fun with you."

And he had relented. He said nothing and turned back to face his computer before he picked up his telephone and dialed a set of numbers.

"Hello. Yes, I'd like to make a 10 day hotel reservation for two in Sapporo. Can you give me a quote?"

Then dialed his travel agent's again after Mokuba accidentally knocked the phone out of his hand when he had thrown his arms around his older brother's neck in unbridled excitement.

He had expected it to be a relaxing getaway from the blade runnery of Domino and work. The preparations for Kaiba Land were well underway and reaching their final steps. As long as he went double overtime in the weeks leading up to Mokuba's winter vacation, no harm would be done in him taking ten days off. Even if he wasn't going to relax or enjoy it too much, at least Mokuba definitely would. That was reason enough for him to make their plans.

Seto had expected that he wasn't going to have as much fun as Mokuba. But there was no way that he could have expected to wind up in an empty mountain tool shed, in the middle of a night blizzard, no less, with his archrival Yugi Mutou.

That day, he had opted for a break from the slopes that afternoon to explore the forests through cross-country skiing while an exhausted Mokuba stayed in their hotel room to play with the new video games he had gotten for Christmas. One wrong turn led him far off the course. Before long, thick, iron gray clouds covered the sky and snowflakes that fell from them were large, wet, and high in number.

_Somehow_ Yugi and his stupid friends (who, by a stroke of terrible luck, were staying in the same hotel with them) had found out that he had gone missing (Mokuba must have asked them for help again), and Yugi had found him in the forest. As they tried to head back, darkness fell and the blizzard worsened, transforming itself into a thundersnow as the falling snow was joined by graupel, leaving them with no choice but to find the nearest shelter: the empty tool shed.

There they sat. Both leaned up against the rickety wooden walls across from each other, saying nothing.

Kaiba snorted in frustration as he turned of his cell phone and stuffed it into his jacket pocket after failing to get a signal through yet again, crossing his arms.

Yami Yugi looked up at him. "No luck?"

"What do you think?" he snapped.

Yami's eyes narrowed and he stared back at the floor. "In any case, someone will probably find us before long."

"I know. Stop trying to comfort me, Yugi. I don't need it!"

"Fine."

"_I shouldn't let myself get too angry_," the pharaoh told himself. "_In spite of what he says now, he's probably getting stressed." _

Not to mention the fact that they needed to stay calm if they were going to get through this deadly situation together. Yugi was very tired from the skiing and had been resting in his heart while his other self helped the others search for the wayward businessman. He remained unconscious since and Yami was not about to allow anything to endanger him.

The fiercce chill brought by a blast of wind forced its way right through the poorly insulated wall and onto Yami's back. The spirit noticed that Kaiba did not seem bothered by it and he got up and sat down on the same side of the shed as Kaiba (but not next to him), and hugged his knees to his chest. He wanting to keep Yugi's body as warm as he could.

"How cold do you think it is outside?" Yami asked.

Kaiba took out his phone, which was still able to read the temperature. "-23.3 degrees. But the windchill is probably making it lower than that."

The master duelist glanced at his rival, who was shivering like a drenched cat that had just clawed its way out a pool of icy water.

"You know, you really should have brought a thicker coat. That one's looking pretty worn out."

"I'm fine, Kaiba."

Kaiba smirked. "You don't look fine."

"It doesn't matter, anyway. We'll get out of this mess soon enough."

"_Still so resilient. I expect nothing less from you,_" Kaiba thought. "It's a pity I don't have my cards with me. I'd have challenged you to a rematch by now."

Yami smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Because you think you'd win again?"

"No. I'm just glad to know that you're still my rival."

"Of course I am. And I will be for the rest of my life."

"Good. Then so will I."

"So don't forget it."

"I won't."

Another pounding roar of thunder shook their shelter and the single lightbulb that was suspended from the ceiling fell and shattered. The absence of light made it impossible for Kaiba to see, but easier to hear. A very soft clicking sound reached his ears.

"_What _is_ that?_" he wondered.

His withdrew his phone and put it on flashlight mode so that he could see. When he shone it on his rival, he saw that his rival shaking as if there was an earthquake under him. Yami's skin had gained the pallor of the snow outside and his teeth were chattering.

The moment Kaiba noticed that his lips were also turning blue, he reached over, grabbed Yami by the arm, and dragged him close. He had locked the king of games tightly in his arms and started to rub his back.

"Upfh, Kaiba! Wh-what are you doing?" Yami asked, trying to twist out of his rival's strong grip.

"Just be quiet!" Kaiba ordered. "And hold still."

After a moment's thought, Yami realized that Kaiba was trying to keep him warm.

"Thank you…" he whispered. In spite of Kaiba's efforts, he felt every inch of him going numb and his head drooped in exhaustion.

Kaiba pinched the forefinger of his glove between his teeth and pulled it off, using his bare hand to feel Yami's forehead. _Damn_.

He put his glove back on and without warning, unzipped his winter coat, pulled Yami even closer to him, and zipped them both up inside of it, wrapping his arms around him again.

Yami blinked in surprise and blushed. _Did that really just happen?_ He looked up at him. "Um…Kaiba…"

"In Duelist Kingdom, I swore that you would be my rival for the rest of my life. Out of all the many opponents I've faced, you're the only one I've _ever _wanted to fight again. Our duelist blood binds us together."

He met Yami's gaze. "So I can't have you dying on me."

"Thanks, really…"

"Plus, if I were to just let you freeze to death in here, those obnoxious friends of yours would never let me hear the end of it."

Now the pharaoh was sure he wasn't hallucinating or dreaming and suppressed a small laugh. This was the Kaiba he knew. This was his friend. Yami had trusted him with his life during Battle City and he could trust him with it now, too. His eyes closed and he felt himself beginning to drift peacefully off to sleep, he couldn't hold it back any longer and had noticed that Kaiba was nodding off as well, their shared heat soothing them both and reminding them of what they would always have.

"Yugi…"

"Hm?"

"You have to promise me that…you won't tell anyone…about this…Or…"

"You'll kill me?"

"…That's right."

"Heh heh. You have my word."


End file.
